Time is up for Eriksson-EK

DeagleJenkins

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Haula and Cullen did it while Koivu was on the team.

Haula was not on the team with Staal dropping koivu down to 2C rather than 1C. As far as Cullen he was hardly used at all how can you say he was used in the shutdown roll. Thats the major reason he went back to the pens he was under utilized.
 

Dr Jan Itor

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Koivu is our matchup center most of the time, part of the reason why what he did in 2016-17 was so impressive.

Staal is #2, not because he great defensively, but he's a talented veteran who you can usually trust not to get completely swallowed up by the opposition, and push offense.

Our bottom 6 wingers for a vast majority of the year were a combination of Ennis, Stewart, Winnik and Foligno. Parise came in at the end, which changed the equation a little bit, and Coyle was there too, I guess. But I don't care who we had centering either line, they were never purposefully going to be matched up against top lines with the 4 guys (maybe 3 guys, as Winnik is fairly reliable), running out there most of the time.
 

TaLoN

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Haula and Cullen did it while Koivu was on the team.
BB has only used Koivu to matchup with the other teams top lines.

Yeo used the 3rd line method, but BB has been pretty strict about using his best defensive center despite being his #1 or #2 overall center.
 
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nickschultzfan

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I don't see why BB couldn't pair Koivu with Coyle and use that line as the shutdown line, while opening up a scoring line of Parise - JEE/Greenway - Nino. That's kind of the intriguing part of putting Greenway, who is a pretty good playmaker, at center and between two guys that like to score. That would move JEE to LW with Koivu and Coyle, where he could maybe do some interesting things.
 

DeagleJenkins

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I don't see why BB couldn't pair Koivu with Coyle and use that line as the shutdown line, while opening up a scoring line of Parise - JEE/Greenway - Nino. That's kind of the intriguing part of putting Greenway, who is a pretty good playmaker, at center and between two guys that like to score. That would move JEE to LW with Koivu and Coyle, where he could maybe do some interesting things.

would be nice to have a 6'6 center. Can greenway make the transition? for the future wouldnt you rather have greenway and ek down the middle as 1C 2C? after koivu and staal leave we dont have centers so moving him to LW would not be the greatest for his development as a center.
 

nickschultzfan

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would be nice to have a 6'6 center. Can greenway make the transition? for the future wouldnt you rather have greenway and ek down the middle as 1C 2C? after koivu and staal leave we dont have centers so moving him to LW would not be the greatest for his development as a center.
He played center last year in college.
 

Saga of the Elk

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Yes i believe i read that but in WJC he was a wing if i recall, we have him at wing. Thought maybe i just read wrong and he actually played wing at BU

He transitioned to center his final season. Did ok there but I don't think he has the ideal mobility to play center in the NHL and he's better off along the boards, distributing, protecting the puck, and getting low in traffic. I hope they experiment with Greenway-JEE-Coyle.
 
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DeagleJenkins

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He transitioned to center his final season. Did ok there but I don't think he has the ideal mobility to play center in the NHL and he's better off along the boards, distributing, protecting the puck, and getting low in traffic. I hope they experiment with Greenway-JEE-Coyle.

Id love to see a young line such as Greenway-JEE-Kunin at some point. if they mesh well let them flourish as a line for the future. Then you can roll with Nino-Koivu-Coyle and Zucker-Staal-Granny. Barring an injury to parise i have no idea if he will play or not so im not even gonna put him on a line.
 

Wabit

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He transitioned to center his final season. Did ok there but I don't think he has the ideal mobility to play center in the NHL and he's better off along the boards, distributing, protecting the puck, and getting low in traffic. I hope they experiment with Greenway-JEE-Coyle.

That's the game I want to see from Greenway. He plays too passive and needs to get it in his head to use his size/strength to dominate. After his Olympics stint he came back a different player for BU and he was one of the main reasons they made a run in the NCAA's. It's the reason I think he starts in the AHL to get time to work on his consistency in those areas.
 
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nickschultzfan

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I would still like to see him at center between two scorers. I think he would make up for some of the NHL speed issues with his massive length and strength.
 

Binister

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Greenway - JEE - Kunin/Coyle sounds a lot of fun and dynamic :nod:. Someone call BB to use it as third line next season!
 
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Wild11MN

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Sadly it probably wont happen. BB seems to be stuck in his old ways and wants youngsters with vets to ease them in.
It does make sense. If BB feels like he can't trust those three on the ice to start the season, there's no reason to throw them out together. He seems to trust both JEE and Greenway though, so maybe it depends on Kunin.
 
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57special

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I would still like to see him at center between two scorers. I think he would make up for some of the NHL speed issues with his massive length and strength.
I have yet to see massive strength from him. He was actually getting knocked around quite a bit. I would guess that he will get stronger and more aggressive, but that's not a sure thing. Bjugstad has been less than scarey in the NHL, and he's just as big, if not bigger.
 

Wabit

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It does make sense. If BB feels like he can't trust those three on the ice to start the season, there's no reason to throw them out together. He seems to trust both JEE and Greenway though, so maybe it depends on Kunin.

I wouldn't say he trusts Greenway. Greenway got ice time in the Playoffs because there weren't any even decent options left. Kunin got injured before the Playoffs, Parise got injured during the Playoffs, Ennis was Ennis, and the AHL guys aren't NHL quality players. If Kunin and Parise were healthy I don't think Greenway sees the ice in the Playoffs.

His cup of coffee at the end of the regular season was unimpressive as a whole after all.
 

DeagleJenkins

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It does make sense. If BB feels like he can't trust those three on the ice to start the season, there's no reason to throw them out together. He seems to trust both JEE and Greenway though, so maybe it depends on Kunin.

Never said it didnt make sense. Just saying i dont see him doing it as BB seems to be real old school and doesnt like to let young guys play too much until he trusts them 100%
 

Wild11MN

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Never said it didnt make sense. Just saying i dont see him doing it as BB seems to be real old school and doesnt like to let young guys play too much until he trusts them 100%
I know, not saying you meant that. You make a good point.

I wouldn't say he trusts Greenway. Greenway got ice time in the Playoffs because there weren't any even decent options left. Kunin got injured before the Playoffs, Parise got injured during the Playoffs, Ennis was Ennis, and the AHL guys aren't NHL quality players. If Kunin and Parise were healthy I don't think Greenway sees the ice in the Playoffs.

His cup of coffee at the end of the regular season was unimpressive as a whole after all.
I agree with you, but I'm not sure Bruce does. Wasn't he praising his game after the season? Small sample size though, so it could obviously change.
 

Wabit

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I agree with you, but I'm not sure Bruce does. Wasn't he praising his game after the season? Small sample size though, so it could obviously change.

I don't read too much into that, after all a good coach isn't going to call out a guy that is just getting his feet wet as a pro. Focus on the positives in public, and behind closed doors give the guy a list of things to work on over the summer.

Greenway at least tried his best to show up for the Playoffs, but he looked in over his head (like most of the team) for a lot of the series. Like you said small sample size. Get him into camp and have a month or so to work with him and see where he really is with his game.
 

DeagleJenkins

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I don't read too much into that, after all a good coach isn't going to call out a guy that is just getting his feet wet as a pro. Focus on the positives in public, and behind closed doors give the guy a list of things to work on over the summer.

Greenway at least tried his best to show up for the Playoffs, but he looked in over his head (like most of the team) for a lot of the series. Like you said small sample size. Get him into camp and have a month or so to work with him and see where he really is with his game.

i wonder if its a coaching think or player mindset that the fire just doesnt seem to be there consistently with this team. look lost so often.
 

Wabit

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i wonder if its a coaching think or player mindset that the fire just doesnt seem to be there consistently with this team. look lost so often.

It's on the players at this point for me. 2.5 coaches have gotten not much in Playoff results from the same top-4 D, top-6/7 FWDs, and 1G.
 

DeagleJenkins

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It's on the players at this point for me. 2.5 coaches have gotten not much in Playoff results from the same top-4 D, top-6/7 FWDs, and 1G.

i agree, thats why i wanna trade a good chunk of players and shake things up. even a player for player fair trade just for different name, new environment. Need more than just a 4th line shakeup so when he is able to get good value im excited to see waht he can get.
 
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nickschultzfan

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I watched Big Buf a lot when he was starting out in Chicago. I am not saying Greenway is remotely the same player, but sometimes those massive guys come into the league not knowing how to use their strength from leverage standpoint and also for fear of destroying guys from time to time as they came up through the ranks. Once they get comfortable with their bodies and the physicality allowed in the NHL, they go from timid sheep to terrifying lions.

Greenway has a bit of that in him.
 
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